Taking an "Inquiry" Course Makes a Difference: A Comparative Analysis of Student Learning
Abstract
The authors examined whether taking a first-year "Inquiry" course, Inquiry in Social Science (1SS3), makes a difference in students' learning and performance. Using five years of data from McMaster University, they compared students who took first-year "Inquiry" with comparable students who did not in terms of how well students performed during their academic careers. The analysis accounts for initial differences between the two samples in age, gender, high school grade point average, and high school English grades. Taking the "Inquiry" course was associated with statistically significant positive differences in students' earning passing grades, achieving Honours, staying on the Dean's Honour list, and remaining in the university. These results lead the authors to the conclusion that taking "Inquiry" makes a positive difference in students' academic careers.
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